Staff Writer Grace Holloway examines the UK government’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, exploring the historical context, the plight of displaced Chagossians, and the complex political and social implications of the move.
Sovereignty of the Chagos Islands Gifted to Mauritius from the UK Government
I’m fairly certain that if you had asked the average British person even a month ago where the Chagos Islands are or their connection to the UK, they would have struggled to provide an adequate answer. Since the start of this year, my own understanding of their status has transformed, largely due to local issues in Crawley, West Sussex. However, it is only recently — following the government’s announcement two weeks ago about transferring sovereignty back to Mauritius —that the mainstream media and the average British person have become aware of the situation.
While the inital response to the announcement was positive, due to the Island located 6,000 miles away being related to our colonial history, when you delve deeper into the more recent history and experience of their citizens the issue is more complex.
The History Behind the Issue
The Chagos Islands are located in the Indian Ocean, and consist of over 60 islands with the largest being Diego Garcia. They became British territory in 1814, along with Mauritius and the Seychelles.
The status of the Islands has always been debated as the Mauritian government claimed them while the UK wished to keep the Islands as part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. This dispute was paused in 1965 where the UK split Chagos Archipelago away from Mauritius, when facilitating conditions for Mauritian independence.
In 1968 the British Government decided to make a drastic move and expel all Chagossians citizens to Mauritius. This was due to the US wishing to build a navy base on the largest Island, known as Diego Garcia, due to the Island’s geographic location, in relation to China.
The UK government in turn provided Mauritius £5 million for essentially facilitating the movement of 10,000 citizens. However its impact was limited, as a report showed that only 5% of the displaced population benefitted from the move to Mauritius and the finance provided to support them.
In order to repair some of the damage caused to displaced Chagossian citizens, in 2002, Tony Blair granted them British Citizenship and a right to reside in the UK. This was further developed in November 2022 when the government introduced a new route for British nationality and citizenship for those of Chagossian descent.
The main pressure forcing the recent piece of legislation was an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling against the UK government in 2019. This ruling stated the UK was illegally continuing the British occupation of the Chagos Islands.
“The United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible” – ICJ Ruling Statement
After the ICJ ruling, the UN court also ruled the UK has no sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. Instead, they argued that Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Archipelago. The dispute over the UK still remaining sovereignty, is related to widespread pressure for the UK to cut ties to its colonial history.
The Crawley Community: Homeless and Subject to Online Abuse
It is estimated that there are around 10,000 Chagossians or descendants scattered across Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the UK. Crawley, West Sussex which is part of my hometown, now has a community of over 3,500 people and has become the key UK arrival destination for many more Chagossians making the move.
Motivated by the 2022 legislation, in June earlier this year, 77 Chagossians made the journey to Crawley, with hope in their eyes and a promise their British citizenship would give them a better future.
Unfortunately, Crawley council was unable to house 37 of these people, and they were given no right or access to emergency accommodation. This led to them sleeping on the floor of a local leisure centre: K2, before they were removed and forced to relocate to Northgate Community Centre.
The council was the first in the UK to declare a housing emergency after severe budget constraints. When they contacted the previous Conservative government about the position of those sleeping rough, they were told it was a local issue. In the current stage of writing the article, 10 citizens are still left sleeping rough with the Council now taking them to court.
What really interested me into the status of those sleeping rough was a media storm that occurred on online Facebook groups. Various local groups such as ‘Crawley Talks – and independent page’s such as ‘Spotted Crawley’ posted to raise awareness about the devastating positions of these Chagossians.
Unfortunately, it was met with lots of hatred from those who did not understand the issue and were quick to jump the gun and play the illegal migration card. While many of these comments telling them to return where they came from were removed, some of the less harsh comments still remain. Many questioned: ‘Why are they expecting to be housed for free?’ and with some even responding to those explaining the situation saying ‘You are alienating people with these lies’ about the awful stories of the Chagossians.
However many of those who chose to educate themselves on the issue defended the status of these citizens.
‘We are British Citizens!! The US pays millions to the UK every year for the use of our homeland!’ – one Chagossian responding to hate online
Changing Status – The Plans for a Move of Sovereignty
On 3 October 2024, the UK and Mauritian government issued a joint statement declaring that the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands was to return to Mauritius.
“Under the terms of this treaty the United Kingdom will agree that Mauritius is sovereign over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia.” – From the joint Government statement
The announcement set up a plan for the next 99 years, where the existing military base on Diego Garcia will still operate. The UK government also announced a package of financial support to Mauritius to assist economic development as well as to support and benefit Chagossians.
Many have welcomed the change as a movement to retribute for colonialism, particularly the financial support given to Mauritius as an acknowledgement of how the UK’s previous actions still have economic consequences.
But there were calls of objections from prominent Conservative voices and others on the right, given the geopolitical importance of the islands and the army base. The former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat claimed the move could open up the military base to China, who are looking to expand their influence in the Indian Ocean.
Abandoned by the Government: Will the Recent Changes Help the Citizens?
The major development was captured across headlines all over the country. But this was the way many Chagossian citizens in the UK found out the news. Yet again, their communities have not been involved in the discussions and are still left out of the loop.
Many citizens were unclear on their thoughts of the move – whilst many saw it as an effective means of the UK government finally acknowledging their issues. Others claimed Mauritius will do the same as the UK government.
There is no guarantee that giving sovereignty to Mauritius will enable Chagossians to return home, and there is a lack of clarity about the status of Chagossians who have integrated into communities such as Crawley or are continuing to sleep rough awaiting support.
“They want to go home. They want it to be their home.” – Peter Lamb (Crawley MP) speaking to BBC News
This community wants their freedom and their self-determination, to choose their destiny for the islands and their citizenship. With future developments of their status, we must ensure the citizens and people are listened to, they should decide the sovereignty of their islands.
